Federal ALP opinion

Here we go again - a constant barrage of news outlets trumpeting Rudd's travel costs as if it is a bad thing. Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who has done business at a senior level, and that does include me in Asia and the US, knows that face to face meetings at that level is the singular most important action in getting an ear and closing plans and deals. He should spend many more millions as far as I am concerned if it brings success for our multi-multi-billion dollar economy and forges better relations with other countries.

Rudd does however have a serious problem with his MP of Dawson, James Bidgood. I don't have a problem with Bidgood's recent actions but do have one with the government having a 'End Times' (Bible end of days) believer who scews his world perspective based on the hallucinational ravings in an ancient parchment. Yes, all current events have been foretold and the future has been revealed to him. There is difference between personal beliefs and value systems and publicly airing crackpot theories explaining world events and his delusional thinking needs to exit as soon as possible.

I don'y understand this desire to burn down churches. People who have like minded ideals gather in a place. It could be a church, it could be a town hall or it could be Brookvale Oval. What is gained by burning anywhere down?

Swan is a little kid playing in a big kids world. This $1000 dollars is only going to go to three places, booze, debt and gambling.

They should have bought ABC learning giving it to the states to secure 16,000 jobs and not let child care costs go through the roof.

Help the mines to build proper infrastucture in outback mining towns. There is so many better ways to spend money than giving essentially $1000 to every kid, pensioner and disabled person. Don't get me wrong i fully understand how it COULD stimulate the economy but with people averaging high levels of CC debt it just isn't going to work the way it should.

Any consumer goods that are bought aren't unfortunately going to secure jobs in australia as most of it is made in japan, china, taiwan etc etc.

Don't let your bias get in the way of facts Zep. Treasury (which is unaligned and highly accurate) shows that 70% of all the money will be spent and 30% will pay off debt or be saved and that in itself is not a bad thing for those in a poor position and many will be in that category.

In general the Rudd government has lead the world and acknowledged by most other world governments in taking the right steps when needed. When inflation looked like the problem they raised rates and gave Oz a buffer (which has proved a great help) and they have lead in reducing rates. No government has got it completely right but they have moved quickly when the signs became clear.

I have no idea why we should go down the extreme road of socialising child care. I support the baby bonus which is funding when it is needed, along with the Child Care Tax Rebate, the Child Support Scheme, and the Child Care Benefit, but I don't see why we should take complete ownership in subsidising parents attempting to earn as much as possible. The market will balance and new centres will be opened.

I am a big supporter of infrastructure projects but your call for helping mines comes at the worst time. Mines are laying people off and will be putting more and more mines on maintenance only.

What the economy needs is an immediate boost in retail sales where the demand has dropped. My personal opinion is that companies like Woolworths are more likely to be the main beneficiaries than electronic consumer retailers.

A great deal of 70% will go to consumer alchol and drugs. I don't like the socialising of anything but the fact is that if ABC learning goes under it will cost huge amount of jobs and will cause other child care centres to increase there prices therefore taking away money from those that they want spending the money. Fair enough about the mines, i will concede that but they can't rely on the mines to build these towns, libraries, pools and even schools by themselves and then expect them to survive when the mines start retracting growth.

On the gold coast if you want a infrastructure program build low income housing. That would be great week in week out for people on the coast who have to pay extreme amounts for housing.

Employing people at 38k a year is better than giving 38 people 1k each. It isn't going to help anything if people don't continue to spend money month after month. More to the point it is companies not spending money that we should be worried about (spending on salaries etc etc) and not the consumer.
The government should start spending money on defense or NT aborignal affairs to improve their quality of life.
The purpose of this 1000$ is to get people spending in order for companies to employ or stave of sacking employees. How is it going to help the manufacturer of shade shails? or help purchasing a australia made lounge suite at $3500-$5000?
70% goes to paying debt, leaving 700 to the 1000, if you add up little things the net result for quality consumer goods that we want people purchasing will be less than half. Think most people will go out and by a large dinner from Pizza Hut, KFC, wherever, then buy a carton or two to go along with it. What about the money that will go straight back to the state governments through Car Registrations. If you are giving 1k and have a $700 registration infront of you what are you going to do?

Back to the point all along, instead of the Government giving handouts, start infrastucture programs. Purchase high quality assets(ABC learning) while they are cheap. Provide elements to the community that not only provides a service and creates job but alleviate costs to those that they are giving handouts to.

Back to the point all along, instead of the Government giving handouts, start infrastucture programs. Purchase high quality assets(ABC learning) while they are cheap. Provide elements to the community that not only provides a service and creates job but alleviate costs to those that they are giving handouts to.

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Rex, in general I completely agree with this.

I think you will find that ABC ran a regionally franchised operation often with rented premises which means that the asset is actually the HO management of the process and the ability of front line staff (and Mata will argue that one!), so I am not sure what you would be buying.

Rudd has $20 billion into the 'Building Australia' infrastructure fund and has already agreed at COAG in October to fast track projects.

Ok manlybacker think about this way, If the you give me ten dollars and tell me to buy a magazine and a coke. You are essentially gambling that i will do that. Instead if you went and bought me a magazine and coke then you know how it was spent.

That is not to say that the government should by everyone a $1000 TV. It is just a gamble to give money to people hoping they will purchase what you want them to purchase instead of spending it yourself.

Maybe that 20$ billion would look better at 30$ billion.

BTW I like how NSW government has already raised taxes along with QLD raising car registration costs. Its beautiful. BTW with GST does it mean that everyone will essentially get 909.09 instead of 1000 because all consumer goods are taxed 10%? Actually thats pretty smart, give money out that you are going to get back. Out of the 10 BillionÂ your get back 909.09 million back (well the states anyway). Then the states increase taxes so they get even more of that amount. And we all know that those tax increases will essentially never go down. Alas.

I don'y understand this desire to burn down churches. People who have like minded ideals gather in a place. It could be a church, it could be a town hall or it could be Brookvale Oval. What is gained by burning anywhere down?